Poration



March 8, 1932. w. STIMPSON BACK-BOX PLATE FOR LOOMS,

Filed Sept. l7, 1931 11. l Z .L

f-JS H a Fla-3.

INVENTOR. WALLA E I. T/MPSON.

w/T/VESS CLINTON S. Cosme/v.

BY i 7 g [g A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 "um'ransrA'rss PATENT OFFICE WALLACE I. STIMPSON, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COR- PORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE BACK Box PLATE FOR LOOMS Application filed September 17, 1931. Serial No. 563,372.

This invention relates to looms andmore particularly to means for aligning the back box plate with the reed to form a proper guiding surface for the shuttle in its flight.

Loomsas commonly constructed include a wooden lay supported on cast iron swords and carrying a reed, and at either end a shuttle box. The box consists of a front binder plate and aback guiding plate, having an overhanging surface or guard to prevent the shuttle from rising in its flight. This back box plate is customarily formed of cast iron and is secured at its outer end to the end of the lay, and at its inner end to an extension on the adjacent sword.

Difliculty has'been experienced in aligning the shuttle guiding surface of this back box plate with the front surface of the reed. The wooden lay end may twist or warp, and

the cast iron box plates frequently become warped while being formed.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide means for warping and twisting the back box 1 plate to partially align its surfacewith the reed. This construction is objectionable, in

that, thetwisting imposes a strain upon the the cast iron and the impact of the shuttle on entering the shuttle box frequently causes the strained cast iron to'snap. I propose to 0 overcome this difficulty by providing means whereby the shuttle guiding surface of the back box plate may be accurately aligned with the surface of the reed without subjecting the plate to objectionable stresses.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide means for universally adjusting the shuttle guiding surface of the back box plate of a loom.

A'further object of my invention is to provide, in a loom embodying a lay carried reed' and shuttle boxes, a back box 'plate formed of an attaching portion adapted to be fixed to thelay end and a shuttlev guiding portion connected to the attachingportion by means which permit of a'universal adj ustment.

As illustrative of the preferred embodiment of my invention, reference is made to Y the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the right hand end of the lay of a loom, and showing a construction embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. l.

The lay 1 is supported, as is usual, by swords 2 for reciprocating movement toward and from the front of the loom. JThe'lay carries a reed (not shown) and also carries at either end a shuttle box indicated generally at 3. The shuttle 4 is alternately picked from side to side of the loom by picker sticks 5 carrying the picker 6. The front member 7 of the shuttle box 'isa binder for frictionally urging the shuttle against the rear wall for checking the shuttle at the end of its flight. The back box plate 8 serves primarily to provide'a guiding surface to insure the straight flight of the'shuttle'through the shed. To this end the guiding surfacemust be carefully aligned with respect to the reed which also serves as a guiding surface for the shuttle while the latter is in the shed.

I have formed this back box plate of two parts or pieces, the outer one 9 of which is attached as at 10 to the lay end. The inner part of the back box plate is provided with a vertical shuttle guiding surface or wall 11 and an overhanging guiding surface 12. The two pieces are connected by a universal joint herein shown as consisting of a projection 13 on the outer piece 9 cooperating with a de pression 14 formed in the inner piece 15. The projection has a surface which is a segment of a sphere, and I have shown the depression as having a similarly shaped surface, although this latter is not necessary. Obviously, the depression may have other shapes'than that shown and still cooperate properly with the surface of the projection.

A clamping means is provided for securing the two pieces together; the clamping means consisting in the present instance of a bolt 16 passing through an enlarged opening 17 in the outer piece and threadedly engaging the inner piece. This bolt passes through the projection 13 radially of the surface thereof. i

It will thus be seen that by looseningthis clamping bolt, the inner piece which carries the shuttle guiding surface 11 may be pivoted about the bolt, which normally extends approximately horizontally, or may be pivoted about a vertical axis at right angles to the bolt,cor maybe twisted about anax-is extending longitudinally of the lay. This :connection provides in substance a universal joint. The inner end of the boxplate is attached .to an extension '.l8 'o'n the sword as is usual.

In order to provlde a r1g1dconnect1onbetween the extension 18 and the box plate the contiguous surfaces thereof should be fitted and positioned in the same plane. To this end Ihaveprovided the back surface of the inner end of the box plate with spaced 'iiling lugs 19, which after adjustment of the universal joint may be fitted to the extension 18 of the sword. Obviously, a rigid union between the box plateand the sword may be provided in other'ways. 1 l v It"isto be -understood thatthe embodiment of my invention herein-illustrated and described'is for purposes of illustration only, and not' of-limitation, as the construction disclosed may be departed from in many respects without departingfrom the spirit of n my invention;

I claim:

1. A two piece back box plate for looms,

said pieces connected by a universal joint.

2. A two piece back box'plate for looms, said pieces being provided, respectively, wit-h a projec'tion'having a-surface which isa seg mentof-a sphere and a cooperating depression forming a universal joint between said pieces;

A two piece back box plate for looms,

said-pieces provided, respectively, with a' projection'having a surface which is a segment of a sphere and ac'ooperating depression,and releasablemeans for clamping said pieces together, wherebythey may be uni- I versally adjusted relative to each other.

to be fi'xedto a lay end, said parts being universally-adjustable relative to each other. I

'6'. Aa'back box plate for looms comprising ashuttlecguiding part anda' part adapted to be fixed t ola' lay .end, said parts being provided, respectiyely, witha projection haying surface which is a segment of a sphere and 8.111 a .looin,-the'combi ation of a lay adapted to carry a reed, with a shuttle box carriedon said lay, said shuttle box includ-- a universally jointed back box plate fixed in at each end with respect to the lay, and

means for clamping the parts of said, joint together; whereby the shuttle gu'iding surface of the box plate maybe adjusted rela' tive to the reed and clamped in adjusted position. r

1 9. Ina loom, thecombination of a sword supported lay adapted to'carry a reed, with a shuttle box carried on the layysaid shuttle box including a back box plate fixed at'its outer end to the lay endiand at its inner end to theadjacent sword, said box plate "providedintermediate its ends with a universal joint and being further'providedatits inner end with filing lugs a'daptedto be fitted to the surface of'the sword; wherebythe shuttle guiding surface of the box'plate may 'be aligned with the'surface ofthe reed.

10. Ina loom, the combination of a sword supported lay adapted to carrya'reed, with a shuttle box carried-on the lay, "said shuttle lOO box including aback boxplate having a'universally, adjustable shuttle guiding surface, and clamping meansfor retaining said surface in adjusted position, whereby the said shuttle guiding surface maybe accurately positioned relativeto the surface of the reed; 11. A two piece 'ba'ck'box plate for "looms, said pieces pivoted'together in such a manner as to permit adjustment of the inner end of the plate about both a vertical and a horizgntal axis passing transversely'through the pate; v. v 12. A back boxplate for-looms'comprising a shuttle guiding part-and a part adapted to be fixed to a'la'y end, said parts pivoted together by'means of a joint which will permit adjustment of the shuttle guiding partabout angularly related axesfpassing transveresly through the plate. j

18. A back box plate for looms formed of at least two pieces, one of said pieces being provided with a convex pro ection and the other piece being providedwith a depression cooperating with said projection to forma universal joint.

WALLACE I. Samso 

